The Brain Storm

January 31, 2017

Prepress: What does that mean?

Prepress is the process of taking your logo or design and
making it ready for the printers. DBP Chicago knows that dealing with prepress
can be confusing if you aren’t knowledgeable of graphic design terminology.
We’ve collected a handful of terms that you should be familiar with when
dealing with art files and proofs.

Trim Lines, Safe
Area, and Imprint Area

The terms trim lines and safe area refer to areas of the art
file. The trim line designates the edge of the page on the final printed piece.
The safe area is the designated area for text and images; it is typically
smaller than the trim line to accommodate for standard cutting variance.
Imprint area typically refers to the area on a promotional product that can be
imprinted with your brand message. You will typically see the imprint area
designated on proofs, but they do not get printed on the final product.

Mock Ups vs. Proofs

Mock ups and proofs are similar, but not quite the same. A
mock up is typically a quick overlay of the imprint design over a low
resolution image of the product. It gives you a visual reference to what the
final product will look like, but is not an exact representation. A proof is a
technical file from the plant. It is ready for print with the imprint area or
trim lines denoted on a high resolution product image.

Crops and Bleeds, or
Printer’s Marks

Many printers require art files to have crops and bleeds, so
it’s important to know what these terms mean.
They are two components that make up the printer’s marks on a final
print ready file. Crops is an abbreviation for crop marks, which are the lines
that designate where the cutting blades should line up. Bleeds refers to
graphics bleeding off the page, or when an image goes all the way to the edge
of the paper with no white border. On the print file, the bleed is typically ⅛”
and the images should extend over the trim lines by that amount. Different
printers may have different requirements for bleeds, depending on the equipment
at the plant. Ask your printer for their requirements so your files will be
built to proper specifications.

Resolution

It’s well known that images play an important role in
marketing. Sharp marketing needs sharp images to enhance your message. When
dealing with graphic files for print, you’ll hear the term resolution thrown
around quite a bit. For print, images need to be at least 300 dpi, or dots per
inch. Images are comprised of microscopic colored dots called pixels, and all
the pixels together form the image visible to us. The more pixels contained in
the image, the more detail that will be seen and the more you can enlarge the
image before it becomes distorted.

Outlines and Vector
Files

Live, editable text

Outlined text

These are terms that you will hear a lot when referring to
text and logos. They are important to ensure your final print piece looks
exactly as it does on your design file. Vector files’ primary function is to allow
for sizing. Much like resolution in an image file, a design in a vector file
can be enlarged significantly without distortion. In vector files, the fonts
should all be converted to outlines. Many fonts are not universal, and a large
number of companies pay to purchase a specific font for their brand. Printers
typically do not have special, non-universal fonts. When the prepress
department opens your file and they don’t have your font, the computer replaces
it with a suggested font and that can change the entire look of the design.
Converting the fonts to outlines turns text into a graphic element so the words
are no longer read by the computer as text and having the font isn’t necessary
to maintain the look of the text. Design software comes equipped with the tools
to make this conversion easy.

PMS, CMYK, RGB

OMG! So many acronyms when talking about color!
These are all color terms that refer to the color mixing within the art file
and in printers. CMYK and RGB are formula keys. Each of them contains 3 or 4
primary colors: Red, Blue, Green or Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black (K). Color
spectrums in printing are based on formula percentages of each of the primary
colors. A file can be CMYK or RGB, but it can’t be both. CMYK is typically
preferred by printers, while RGB is best for web or screen views. Another way
to identify colors is by using PMS colors, sometimes called spot colors. PMS
means Pantone Matching System, and it is a universal color code system. You
might see a color specified as PMS 187C. Most brands will designate a PMS color,
because it is the most precise way to match a color across a variety of
materials and products.

EPS and PDF

EPS (Encapsulated Postscript) and PDF (Portable Document
Format) are file types. For commercial printing, Print Ready PDF files are
typically sufficient for printing. They can carry high resolution files in
smaller file sizes, so they are easy to email but also easy to convert back
into a fully editable file. Not all PDF files are print ready, however, and not
all retain their editing capabilities if they are low resolution. Promotional
products will sometimes prefer or require an EPS file, which is the file type
that contains outlines and vector art. Not all EPS files are vector art, but
all vector art should be in EPS files.

January 19, 2017

Upgrade Your Collateral with Video Brochures

Marketing and sales collateral are a necessity for businesses, but it can be challenging to make your materials distinct and memorable. When deciding how to present your messaging, new technology stands out but print materials are irreplaceable, so which do you choose? DBP has a unique solution that merges classic print collateral with new media technology: video brochures with custom graphics and finishes. A tactile brochure enhances the video viewing experience in a way that can't be replicated with digital media, and the fully customizable print graphics provide a perfect complement to your video message.

If you're looking to elevate your sales and marketing efforts, consider a video brochure from DBP Chicago to enhance your sales and marketing program. They're perfect for product launches or business development, and are sure to leave a lasting impression on your clients and prospects.

Check out our video below to see these impressive brochures in action!